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On this day, 1994: my *first* rendezvous with the famed "yellow footprints" #USMC #fb http://t.co/PhIr0xjA3V
— Gary Sampson (@gjsamps) December 27, 2014
Time to retire, right? Not so fast.
I'm actually not retirement-eligible, because of the 'broken time' that I spent outside of the military after my initial 5-year enlistment (aka, the First Five-Year Plan).
College was the Second Five-Year Plan.
The Third Five-Year Plan was the first five years that I served as a commissioned officer. I wrote about that time here. I even made some forecasts about the next 5-year period which has just come to a close. Let's do a re-cap of those predictions to see if I am ready to become certified in predicting things, like a meteorologist or Bruce Bueno de Mesquita.
1. Afghanistan: still have not been. 0% accurate.
2. Job in which I will use Chinese language / regional expertise / cultural knowledge. Hasn't officially happened yet, though I am currently in an assignment that comes close to that. 50% accurate.
3. DC. I visit there on occasion, but have not yet been assigned to that area, aside from my initial training as a Marine Corps officer. 0% accurate.
4. Training course. I did not take it after leaving Taiwan in 2011, but instead finally got it done in the summer of 2014 before moving to Japan. 50% accurate.
How did I do? Let's see...I got two completely wrong, and the other two half right. I'd say that gives me a 'batting average' of about .250, well above the Mendoza Line! I'm not ready for the Hall of Fame, but that's at least in the neighborhood of Jim Flowers or Bill Randby!
After Taiwan, we moved to Colorado, and from Colorado to Japan.
Since I got *some* of my predictions for the Fourth Five-Year Plan right, I am willing to offer some guesses on what might come during the fifth. And I will even resist the urge to put things in here that I do not want to happen, since with my 'batting average,' that may be a more realistic way to attain my goals.
First, I will become retirement-eligible during this period. What does this mean? It means I will go over 20 years of active-duty service. While it has been 20 years since I first joined the Marine Corps, with my 'broken time,' I currently have about 15.5 years of active-duty service. So in the summer of 2019, I will surpass this marker. In my view, this will be a game-changer. Will I retire from the military at that time? I'll not tip my hand here...let's just say that the urge to do so grows stronger as I get closer to the day.
Second, we'll move from Japan, probably in 2017. If I plan to retire in 2019, that means wherever we go at that time will be my so-called 'twilight tour.'
With the recently-announced news of my selection for promotion, by the time of our move in 2017 I should be wearing the gold oak leaves of a major, which will have a significant impact on where we might go. Different jobs are available for company-grade officers (which I currently am) as compared to field-grade (which I will become on the event of my promotion).
I'd like to get an assignment inside the continental United States that will put me in the classroom, but not as a student, which I have spent a considerable amount of time as while in uniform. I'd like to teach -- it's time to give back to the new generation of leaders. It could be in Annapolis or another university around the country that hosts a Naval ROTC unit.
If that's not possible, then I'll hope for something close to home -- U.S. Strategic Command, anyone?
Whatever ends up happening, the Fifth Five-Year Plan promises to be an exciting time. Check back here often for updates.
Happy New Year!
GJS
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